Central African Egg-eating Snake

Owing to their nature as obligate ovivores, all members of the genus Dasypeltis are arboreal, preferring to remain in the trees where they can locate bird-nests, and tend to be nocturnal as this is when the diurnal bird species they prey upon are asleep and most likely to leave their eggs unguarded. Their diet also affects their biology, and has resulted in an evolutionary adaptation that has removed their teeth and substantially increased the capacity of their necks. This facilitates the consumption of whole eggs. Once inside the neck, three bony projections from the cervical vertebrae are extended and the egg is crushed against them, puncturing and cracking it. The eggs are then squeezed to extract the liquids inside, and the shell is regurgitated. This adaptation allows them to exploit a food source that is almost completely uncontested in their natural habitat. During feeding, they have an extensible, highly flattened trachea that can push around the egg and allow them to continue breathing whilst swallowing an egg several times wider than their own body.

D. fasciata is found in western and central Africa including the Central African Republic, Gambia, Nigeria, and Uganda.